Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-12-15
WOOL-GROWERS EXCITED.
The National Convention OF Woodrow
on the President's Message.

ers on the President's Message.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Sat yesterdays
ses sion OF the conference of wool growers
and wool dealers of the United States,
called by the president of the National AS
ISOLATION of Wool Growers, tie following
was unanimously adopted: 'The wool deal
ers and wool growers Of the United States,
representing capital of over $500, 900, 90
and a constituency of million wool
growers and wool dealers, assembled
in conference in the city Of Washing
ton the 9TH day of December, 1887,
having read the first annual mes
sage of the President to the Fiftieth Con-
gress, declare that the sentiments of the
message are Il direct attack upon their in
dustry, one of the most important Of the
country, and in positive violation Of
the National Democratic platform of
1884 as interpreted by the party lead
ers and accepted by the rank ana file OF
the party; that the argument made by the
President for the removal of our protection
against foreign competition is the old one
repeatedly made by the enemies of our in
dustrial progress. and effectively answered
IN nearly every school district Of our land,
and so thoroughly disproved by the logic
of facts and demonstration Of experience
and history us to need no answer from us.
1--WE acknowledge that our small hold
ings,' our scattered and unorganized condi-
ton, makes US the easy prey of the free
trader, but we had IA + ght t. expect some
thing different from the Chief Executive
Of the Nation, at once the most happy,
prosperous and contented of any in the
world, MADE SO by a policy Of protection
and development, which he now seeks to
destroy. We had right to expect cur
President would favor the wool growers Of
the United States, and confess our disap-
poiuimcnt that instead he favors the inter
esls of our foreign competitors.
Justly alarmed at his position, We make
an appeal from his recommendations to the
people, TO all the people, to the seven and
tnree-fourths millions Of our fellow citizens
engaged in agriculture. to the millions en-
gagged in manufacturing, TO the army OF
wage earners, whose wages are maintained
by the protective system, to the tradesmen
and merchants whose prosperity depends
upon ours, confident that their judgment and
decision will be based upon justice and
patriotism and, therefore, for the main
tenance Of the American policy of protec-
ton to which the country is indebted for
its uuexampled development and prosper.
ity.
"To demonstrate the injustice of the
Presidents policy and the fallacy of the
remedy he proposes for the reduction OF
the surplus we point to the fact that if the
whole amount OF the revenue derived from
wool was abolished it wOuld reduce the
surplus only about five millions, or less
than ten cents per capita of the population,
which is paid by foreigners, while the old
war taxes he recommends retained yield
over one hundred and nineteen million and
are direct tax per capita Of 81 each and
are what makes up the great bulk of the
surplus Of Sl40, 00J, O00 and which fosters a
most dangerous monopoly.
I'VE would further add the following
statistics in regard to the wool industry:
The annual revenue derived from imports
of wool under the tariff of 1867 was less
than Sl,7JO, under the reducteI tariff of
1881 the revenue last year was over s., Co.,,
600. The number of sheep IN the country
in 1884 was 50,63j, GIG; in 1887 it was Al, 49,,
3l4, a decrease of nearly 6,OOO,ON
and a diminutiou of the annual wool
product Of over 35,0O0,000 pounds,
thus showing that reducing the tariff
by the act Of 1883 has increased the reve
nue. from imported woods and diminished
the number of sheep in the United States
about twelve per cent. and the annual pro-
duct in the same proportion. The Presi.
dents policy would bring about the de-
struction Of this industry and the same
policy Of reduction or abolition of the tariff
would end in disaster to all other indus
trial productive enterprises Of the coun
trVo